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The tech industry has long wanted more visas for highly skilled workers but has been reluctant to muddy the issue with questions about border security, reuniting families and letting illegal workers stay.

Now that the Latino vote has rocketed comprehensive immigration reform back into the spotlight, the industry will again have to decide whether to align its cause with the bigger immigration movement.

“We understand comprehensive is where the game is,” Peter Muller, Intel’s director of government relations, told POLITICO. “There are pros and cons to that. We know it is difficult to achieve. If it is not successful, there will be a more targeted approach.”

Facing a growing talent shortage, tech wants more green cards for Ph.D.s in technical fields and a better system for bringing foreign nationals here temporarily. But it hasn’t had any luck getting Congress to change laws. The sense of urgency about the issue has increased since 2007, when Congress last took up comprehensive immigration reform.

This week, Compete America, a coalition of tech firms, university associations and others, is holding a retreat in Washington to discuss the immigration debate. The group is meeting with Felicia Escobar, senior policy adviser for immigration at the White House Domestic Policy Council, as well as key members of the Senate: Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

“Our industry faces a talent shortage that is rapidly approaching the dimensions of a crisis,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft’s executive vice president and general counsel. “If we don’t see action over the course of the next year, we’ll see headlines about companies being forced to move jobs to other countries. This isn’t something our industry wants to do. There are not enough people graduating with computer science degrees for the jobs we are creating.”

Fearing another draining legislative battle over the issue as in the past, tech leaders are discussing what role to play in the coming year with comprehensive reform expected to take center stage.

Meanwhile, there are several narrower bills from both parties that address some of the needs of the tech community — including a bill that passed the House last week but was stymied by the White House and has little chance in the Senate.